81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

hobsiscool · 07-15-2010, 06:37 PM

ok, i've posted a few times on here, i'm finally getting into the meat of this truck...I have piles and piles of parts starting to mount, so i'll start a build thread...

Specs: 1981 Gmc Sierra Step Side...4.1L I6...I've swapped my integral head for a 1967 non-integral head...it was rebuilt and had hardened valve seats installed...I've installed a set of Langdon's headers, a Offenhauser intake, and i got a Holley 390 off of eBay and rebuilt it...i'm so close to getting it running again I can taste it.

This past weekend, I removed the bed, and i'm in the process of taking it apart, rusty bolt by rusty bolt...I'll be able to salvage the fenders, and the bed front and sides, and the tailgate...i'll need new strips, and a new rear cross piece...i've also got rust in the normal places...rockers, corners, etc., but i've got about half of the patches that I need, so when I get a free weekend, i'll begin on that.

I'll post some progress pics that I have as of now, it's gonna be a slow build as my wife thinks my truck is a tool sent by the devil, but she knows she'll like it once it's complete (if ever)...

Let me know what y'all think!

hobsiscool · 07-16-2010, 08:41 AM

The goal this weekend is to get the bed torn down, and POSSIBLY attempt at getting this sucker cranked...I just have to finish hooking up the carb and double checking everything, and hopefully she'll turn over.

Pics will follow if all goes according to plan.

Capcity82 · 07-16-2010, 10:58 AM

nice ride

Chlsnk · 07-16-2010, 11:21 AM

Looks like a great truck to start! I have thrown around the idea of trying to find a I6 to do a turbo build.

iroc12valve · 07-17-2010, 02:01 AM

its nice to see someone using what they have rather than demanding a 350 lol

hobsiscool · 07-19-2010, 10:52 PM

Made a little more progress on the truck...I got the bed off last weekend, so this weekend I started tearing it apart...I wanted to get a little more work done on the engine, but the bottom fell out of the sky and pretty much rained on my parade...oh well, maybe next weekend.

In this picture, there are 4 different makes of vehicles visible in 1 photo...I have myself a parking lot

And where a limb fell on my truck after a storm...

And this is my buddy Max

Patriot · 07-20-2010, 03:39 PM

Nice Dog!!

justpball · 07-20-2010, 03:47 PM

liking the 6!

hobsiscool · 07-20-2010, 09:46 PM

Thanks guys, it's definitely a slow work in progress, but hopefully one day it'll be "finished"

GMC91 · 07-20-2010, 10:01 PM

Nice truck man, Im about 2 hours north of ya in Hartselle.

BREIT1 · 07-20-2010, 10:05 PM

How much did that Offy intake set you back?

Thanks,
Dayne.

hobsiscool · 07-20-2010, 10:13 PM

You know if I remember correctly, I think I paid about 150ish for it used off ebay...I cleaned it up and painted it and bolted it on...I got the carb used for about the same price and rebuilt it...jury's still out as to whether it works or not :-/

355bullet · 07-21-2010, 05:15 AM

kick ass truck!

remist17 · 07-21-2010, 12:37 PM

Nice truck... how did you remove the L strip on the bedside and floor. Mine seems to be spot welded.

hobsiscool · 07-21-2010, 05:25 PM

I haven't yet, it is spot welded...i'll have to drill through it and replace it with new.

remist17 · 07-22-2010, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobsiscool

I haven't yet, it is spot welded...i'll have to drill through it and replace it with new.

How was removing the fender bolts? Mine seem to still have factory ZBAR undercaot on it. I am going to need to gring the heads off or something.

Matt Man · 07-22-2010, 03:26 PM

ooo a I6 build nice and different looking forward to more progress. subd

hobsiscool · 07-22-2010, 08:55 PM

to be honest, the bolts holding on the fender were at b*tch to remove...I had to drill half of them out because they kept stripping and were rusted and painted in...This evening I had to redo my throttle cable bracket because it was too far back...kinda f'ed up my paint job and scarred up the valve cover, but I repainted it and it'll do for now...i'll take more pics this weekend when I work on it...thanks for all the comments so far.

hobsiscool · 07-25-2010, 08:12 PM

ok so this weekend, I finally got the bed the rest of the way disassembled...that rear cross brace was welded on so I had to cut through it after I took the bolts out...that was fun

I also redid my throttle cable bracket, it was too close and so I was short on my cable about 2", so I cut it back off, redid it (and measured this time) and welded it back together, and now i'm getting full throttle when I push the pedal...I also hooked up my throttle return spring...works well, I like it. I cleaned up the oil cap off of the 67 head as well and it looks good as new...here are the pics...in some of them you can see the size my shop...only thing I wish I had was an actual garage.

In the following pic, does anyone have 1 of these valve cover clips they'd be willing to part with? I have 6, and I need 7.

here's a bunch of parts off of the old I6 that were either no good, or that I didn't want to use...hopefully I can sell it for some cash as scrap...I doubt i'll find anyone that wants to buy integral head parts, especially since it needs some rocker studs threaded in, AND the exhaust manifold is cracked.

In the following pic, check out the carnage...this is like 1 of 4 wasp nests that I've destroyed...they keep making them on the truck and I keep having to take them down a notch.

**PRattenbury** · 07-25-2010, 08:29 PM

I like the 6 cylinder. Nice to see something different.

hobsiscool · 08-22-2010, 11:27 PM

no pictures, but this weekend I got the new gas tank put in on the driver side. What a pain in the @$$ getting the new hoses connected, but I got it done. Now I just need to double check all my connections, charge up the battery, and attempt to start it. Still a lot more to go, but at least i'm making visible progress. I'll try and snap a couple pics this week.

D13 · 08-23-2010, 06:01 AM

Keep after it! L6's last forever (except the one I picked up).

Buick455 · 08-23-2010, 08:00 AM

You should have seen the hornets nest in my truck bed, it was the size of a football. The wasps keep making nests under my bed and in my barn. I keep cans of spray handy. The wasps can give you a pretty healthy sting.

hobsiscool · 08-23-2010, 08:27 PM

Ok, so as promised...more pics...mixed in are pics of how the engine sits as of now...I attempted to start it tonight, but the battery is dead, so it's charging right now...also mixed in is a pic of the new gas tank.

and just for fun, here's a pic of what I worked on this saturday...it's on my friend brad, we've worked on it for about 3 sittings (i'm still learning so don't hit me too hard if you aren't a fan of it)

Chlsnk · 08-23-2010, 09:36 PM

I like the ink I want to get something with lime green fill I've been told green is one of the hardest colors?

07-15-2010, 06:37 PM	#1
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") ok, i've posted a few times on here, i'm finally getting into the meat of this truck...I have piles and piles of parts starting to mount, so i'll start a build thread... Specs: 1981 Gmc Sierra Step Side...4.1L I6...I've swapped my integral head for a 1967 non-integral head...it was rebuilt and had hardened valve seats installed...I've installed a set of Langdon's headers, a Offenhauser intake, and i got a Holley 390 off of eBay and rebuilt it...i'm so close to getting it running again I can taste it. This past weekend, I removed the bed, and i'm in the process of taking it apart, rusty bolt by rusty bolt...I'll be able to salvage the fenders, and the bed front and sides, and the tailgate...i'll need new strips, and a new rear cross piece...i've also got rust in the normal places...rockers, corners, etc., but i've got about half of the patches that I need, so when I get a free weekend, i'll begin on that. I'll post some progress pics that I have as of now, it's gonna be a slow build as my wife thinks my truck is a tool sent by the devil, but she knows she'll like it once it's complete (if ever)... Let me know what y'all think!

07-16-2010, 08:41 AM	#2
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") The goal this weekend is to get the bed torn down, and POSSIBLY attempt at getting this sucker cranked...I just have to finish hooking up the carb and double checking everything, and hopefully she'll turn over. Pics will follow if all goes according to plan.

07-16-2010, 10:58 AM	#3
Capcity82 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: austin texas Posts: 15	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") nice ride

07-16-2010, 11:21 AM	#4
Chlsnk Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas city Posts: 756	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Looks like a great truck to start! I have thrown around the idea of trying to find a I6 to do a turbo build. __________________ *My 84 short bed build up*** http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...68#post3481968

07-17-2010, 02:01 AM	#5
iroc12valve Registered User Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: niagara, ontario Posts: 109	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") its nice to see someone using what they have rather than demanding a 350 lol __________________ 1991 V3500 350TBI/4l80/205 D60/14bff - Crew long 1987 IrocZ-28 525 horse/567 Lb Tq 383 1976 K30 on 39.5s One wheel drive thanks to a np203 and some K5's lol

07-19-2010, 10:52 PM	#6
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Made a little more progress on the truck...I got the bed off last weekend, so this weekend I started tearing it apart...I wanted to get a little more work done on the engine, but the bottom fell out of the sky and pretty much rained on my parade...oh well, maybe next weekend. In this picture, there are 4 different makes of vehicles visible in 1 photo...I have myself a parking lot And where a limb fell on my truck after a storm... And this is my buddy Max Last edited by hobsiscool; 07-19-2010 at 11:10 PM.

07-20-2010, 03:39 PM	#7
Patriot Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Summerset SD Posts: 312	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Nice Dog!!

07-20-2010, 03:47 PM	#8
justpball Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Silverhill, Al Posts: 2,026	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") liking the 6! __________________ Fuzzy Dice Club Member 87 Crew SWB Build for the crew http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=430082 http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3232925 90 burb 2wd Build Thread For The Burb! http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=383055

07-20-2010, 09:46 PM	#9
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Thanks guys, it's definitely a slow work in progress, but hopefully one day it'll be "finished"

07-20-2010, 10:01 PM	#10
GMC91 Always trouble Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hartsellle, Al Posts: 1,111	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Nice truck man, Im about 2 hours north of ya in Hartselle. __________________ 91 Silverado Regular cab, 2wd, swb-project truck 97 Silverado Extended cab, 2wd, swb-driver

07-20-2010, 10:05 PM	#11
BREIT1 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hays, KS Posts: 36	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") How much did that Offy intake set you back? Thanks, Dayne. __________________ 1963 CHEVY C-20 292/4-speed-Hydraulic dump bed 1974 GMC C-25 454/400 Camper Special 1977 CHEVY K-10 350/350/203 shortbed 1979 GMC C-15 250/465 short bed, stepside 1980 CHEVY K-20 350/465/205 1980 CHEVY K-20 (Built)427/400/205 1981 GMC K-15 350/465/208(Retired) 1983 GMC K-35 454/465/205 winch truck 1985 CHEVY C-30 454(18,000 m.)/465/PTO

07-20-2010, 10:13 PM	#12
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") You know if I remember correctly, I think I paid about 150ish for it used off ebay...I cleaned it up and painted it and bolted it on...I got the carb used for about the same price and rebuilt it...jury's still out as to whether it works or not :-/

07-21-2010, 05:15 AM	#13
355bullet Registered User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: el paso, tx Posts: 510	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") kick ass truck! __________________ www.southwestdrags.com www.elpasocalendargirls.com www.msdignition.com www.atomicefi.com https://www.facebook.com/MSDperformance

07-21-2010, 12:37 PM	#14
remist17 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PA Posts: 406	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Nice truck... how did you remove the L strip on the bedside and floor. Mine seems to be spot welded. __________________ 2013 Chevy Silverado, Z71, 5.3L, 4 door 2005 Chevy Silverado, Z71, 5.3L, 4 door, 3.40 Support the Troops.

07-21-2010, 05:25 PM	#15
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") I haven't yet, it is spot welded...i'll have to drill through it and replace it with new.



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07-22-2010, 03:26 PM	#17
Matt Man Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Buhl, Idaho Posts: 1,438	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") ooo a I6 build nice and different looking forward to more progress. subd __________________ 86 c30 crew cab dually 454/400 4/6 drop SOLD 1-8-11 1981 chevy K10 short Bed Scottsdale SOLD 10-26-2020 67 GMC Stepside Straight six/3 on the tree "The Peach" 2020 Silverado Double Cab LT Z71 5.3 8 speed Daily Driver K10 build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=671934 The Peach build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=733903

07-22-2010, 08:55 PM	#18
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") to be honest, the bolts holding on the fender were at b*tch to remove...I had to drill half of them out because they kept stripping and were rusted and painted in...This evening I had to redo my throttle cable bracket because it was too far back...kinda f'ed up my paint job and scarred up the valve cover, but I repainted it and it'll do for now...i'll take more pics this weekend when I work on it...thanks for all the comments so far.

07-25-2010, 08:12 PM	#19
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") ok so this weekend, I finally got the bed the rest of the way disassembled...that rear cross brace was welded on so I had to cut through it after I took the bolts out...that was fun I also redid my throttle cable bracket, it was too close and so I was short on my cable about 2", so I cut it back off, redid it (and measured this time) and welded it back together, and now i'm getting full throttle when I push the pedal...I also hooked up my throttle return spring...works well, I like it. I cleaned up the oil cap off of the 67 head as well and it looks good as new...here are the pics...in some of them you can see the size my shop...only thing I wish I had was an actual garage. In the following pic, does anyone have 1 of these valve cover clips they'd be willing to part with? I have 6, and I need 7. here's a bunch of parts off of the old I6 that were either no good, or that I didn't want to use...hopefully I can sell it for some cash as scrap...I doubt i'll find anyone that wants to buy integral head parts, especially since it needs some rocker studs threaded in, AND the exhaust manifold is cracked. In the following pic, check out the carnage...this is like 1 of 4 wasp nests that I've destroyed...they keep making them on the truck and I keep having to take them down a notch.

07-25-2010, 08:29 PM	#20
PRattenbury Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Maumelle, AR Posts: 478	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") I like the 6 cylinder. Nice to see something different.

08-22-2010, 11:27 PM	#21
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") no pictures, but this weekend I got the new gas tank put in on the driver side. What a pain in the @$$ getting the new hoses connected, but I got it done. Now I just need to double check all my connections, charge up the battery, and attempt to start it. Still a lot more to go, but at least i'm making visible progress. I'll try and snap a couple pics this week.

08-23-2010, 06:01 AM	#22
D13 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Memphis MI Posts: 1,851	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Keep after it! L6's last forever (except the one I picked up). __________________ 1987 2 ton 1982 250/TH350 beater in progress Dad's 1981 3/4 L6 3 on tree posi and no options, awaiting restoration or scrapping Plus a mess o' tractors

08-23-2010, 08:00 AM	#23
Buick455 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Amherst VA Posts: 150	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") You should have seen the hornets nest in my truck bed, it was the size of a football. The wasps keep making nests under my bed and in my barn. I keep cans of spray handy. The wasps can give you a pretty healthy sting.

08-23-2010, 08:27 PM	#24
hobsiscool Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 123	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") Ok, so as promised...more pics...mixed in are pics of how the engine sits as of now...I attempted to start it tonight, but the battery is dead, so it's charging right now...also mixed in is a pic of the new gas tank. and just for fun, here's a pic of what I worked on this saturday...it's on my friend brad, we've worked on it for about 3 sittings (i'm still learning so don't hit me too hard if you aren't a fan of it)

08-23-2010, 09:36 PM	#25
Chlsnk Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas city Posts: 756	Re: 81 GMC Stepper (AKA "The POS", AKA "The Beast") I like the ink I want to get something with lime green fill I've been told green is one of the hardest colors? __________________ *My 84 short bed build up*** http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...68#post3481968

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